1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus for installation in a conveyor line that is repeatedly unloaded of or loaded with articles.
2. Description of Related Art
Usually, conveyor lines are incorporated in various assembling manufacture lines or at distribution stations wherever articles are successively transported along the lines or within the stations. For example, a number of conveyor lines may typically be arranged lengthwise and crosswise in each distribution station, with some transverse conveyors called xe2x80x9ccross feedersxe2x80x9d being placed at given positions. Such cross feeders will operate to transfer the articles from one conveyor line to another so as to forward them to respective destinations.
Generally, each cross feeder is composed of a transporting mechanism and a lifting mechanism. The top of the transporting mechanism takes its normal position below the article-supporting surface of the longitudinal conveyor line, so as not to interfere with any article being moved on and along this conveyor line. A sensor or the like device will detect the destination of every article so that a stopper is driven to catch and temporarily hold the thus selected article on the cross feeder. Thereafter, the lifting mechanism will be turned on to raise the transporting mechanism above the article-supporting surface of the longitudinal conveyor line. The transporting mechanism will subsequently be switched on so that the selected article thus lifted moves onto an adjacent conveyor line.
One of the prior apparatuses known in the art is the xe2x80x9cmotor installed-rollerxe2x80x9d having a cylinder that encloses therein a motor accompanied by a speed reducer. This prior art apparatus is for use as the lifting mechanism in the cross feeder (see Patent Laying-Open Gazette H. 6-312832).
FIG. 19 recites the cross feeder disclosed in this Gazette H. 6-312832. This cross feeder 100 is composed of a transporting mechanism 101 and a lifting mechanism 102, wherein motor-installed rollers 110 and 105 serve as principal parts of the respective mechanisms 101 and 102.
The transporting mechanism 101 constituting the cross feeder shown in FIG. 19 has an idle roller 111 and some guide rollers 112, in addition to the motor-installed roller 110. Each of two belts 115 lying in parallel with each other engages with those motor-installed roller 110, idle roller 111 and guide rollers 112, to thereby form a loop around them.
On the other hand, the motor-installed roller 105 of the lifting mechanism 102 has rings 106 fixed on its outer peripheral zones. A tie link 108 has one end operatively connected by a pin 107 to the ring 106, with the tie link""s other end adjoined to the transporting mechanism 101.
As will be seen in FIG. 19, the transporting mechanism 101 will remain above the transporting surface of the conveyor line so long as the pin 107 is kept at its uppermost position. When the transporting mechanism 101 is subsequently retracted below the said surface of conveyor line, the motor-installed roller 105 will spin a quarter of one rotation to lower this mechanism synchronously with the pin 107.
The cross feeder 100 of FIG. 19 is for use in combination with a roller conveyor line such that each belt 115 of the feeder does intervene between two adjacent rollers included in the conveyor line.
When the conveyor line is loaded with or unloaded of an article, the motor-installed roller 105 in the lifting mechanism 102 will operate at first. This motion is made to lift the transporting mechanism 101 until the upper traveling path of each belt 115 protrudes up between the constituent rollers of the conveyor line so as to raise the article above it. Next, the motor-installed roller 110 in the transporting mechanism 101 will be switched on to circulate the belts 115 over and around its rollers, thereby removing the article from the conveyor line.
As described above, each of the two parallel belts 115 of the prior art cross feeder is intended for insertion in between the two adjacent rollers of a conveyor. It is however to be noted that a distance between the adjacent rollers is not necessarily constant but largely varies between the types of roller conveyors. Thus, it has been difficult in some cases to properly dispose each belt among the rollers.
Further, the prior art cross feeder is composed of two discrete sections, that is the transporting and lifting mechanisms 101 and 102. This structure has rendered the feeder considerably large in its overall size, to such an extent as possibly disabling the cross feeder to be installed in a requisite portion of the conveyor line.
An object of the present invention made in view of the drawbacks inherent in the prior art is therefore to develop and provide a transversely conveying apparatus rendered smaller in size and capable of installation into any narrow space.
A conveying apparatus provided herein to achieve the object does include a motor-installed device having a casing, a motor accommodated in the casing and a shaft. This casing is capable of rotating relative to and about the shaft, and the shaft is also capable of rotating about a rotation axis so as to produce a torque. The apparatus further includes at least one cam fixed on the casing, an endless member, a drive member for driving the endless member, a terminal member disposed opposite to the drive member, and a deflector for converting the rotation axis to a transverse axis for the drive member. The transverse axis extends crosswise to the rotation axis so as to transmit the torque to the drive member. In this apparatus, the drive member and the terminal member are spanned with the endless member that substantially encloses the motor-installed device. The apparatus still further includes a support that is interposed between the casing and the endless member so as to be capable of contacting both the at least one cam and the endless member. When the shaft rotates relative to the casing standing stationary, the torque will be applied to the drive member so as to cause the endless member to travel in a circulating manner. If contrarily the casing rotates together with the cam relative to the shaft standing still, then the cam will raise or lower the support so as to expand outwards or retract inwards a portion of the endless member.
Here, xe2x80x9cthe transverse axis extending crosswise to the rotation axisxe2x80x9d includes an axis not actually crossing and not parallel to the rotation axis, as well as an axis actually crossing the rotation axis.
In the conveying apparatus from the above-described aspect of the invention, all the principal parts take their position to be enclosed by the endless member. The apparatus thus rendered much smaller in its overall size as compared with the prior art ones can now be incorporated in any desired space, broad or narrow.
Preferably, the endless member noted above may be a belt and both the drive and terminal members may be a pulley. The endless member may otherwise be a chain cooperating with sprockets employed as the drive and terminal members.
Also preferably, the terminal member is movable towards and away from the drive member. Thus, distance between the rotation axes of those drive and terminal members is variable so that tension appearing in and along the endless member stands constant, not affected by the ascending or descending movement of the flat support.
It also is desirable to provide the apparatus with a braking means that will force the casing not to spin but to stand still. In this case, the endless member will start to travel in a circulating manner upon stoppage of the casing braked by said means, as the casing and the shaft rotate relative to each other.
Preferably the motor-installed device is a motor-installed cylinder, the casing is a cylindrical casing, a speed reducer accompanying the motor is further accommodated in the casing, and at least one end of the shaft protrudes outwards from at least one end of the casing. In other words, the motor-installed device is a motor-installed cylinder having a cylindrical casing and a shaft, the cylindrical casing accommodates the motor and a speed reducer accompanying the motor, at least one end of the shaft protrudes outwards from at least one end of the casing, and the cylindrical casing and the shaft are rotatable relative to each other.
The conveying apparatus just summarized above uses a motor-installed cylinder as a motor-installed device. A motor-installed cylinder, also called xe2x80x9ca motor-installed rollerxe2x80x9d, or xe2x80x9ca motorized rollerxe2x80x9d, is made of a cylinder accommodating a motor and a speed reducer. In the cylinder, rotational force of the motor is transmitted to the cylindrical casing through the reducer.
A conveying apparatus also provided herein includes a motor-installed device having a casing, a motor accommodated in the casing and a shaft, with these casing and shaft being capable of rotating relative to each other and about a rotational axis. The apparatus further includes a deflecting mechanism for converting the rotational axis to a further rotational axis, viz., a transverse transmission axis, a power inputting means, a transverse transporting means, and a lifting means. The transporting means transports an article axially of the motor-installed device when and while the power inputting means is energized to rotate. The lifting means for raising and lowering the transporting means is capable of being selectively and operatively connected to one of the casing and the shaft of said device, with the other of them being simultaneously connected through the deflecting mechanism to the power inputting means. Thus, when said one of these cylindrical casing and shaft of said motor-installed device is turned on to rotate, the lifting means will be driven to raise or lower the transporting means. With the other of these casing and shaft of said device being turned on to rotate, the transporting means will be activated by the power inputting means through the deflecting mechanism so as to transport the article.
In the conveying apparatus just summarized above, the motor-installed cylindrical device has such a casing and such a shaft that rotate relative to each other so that the lifting means can operate in unison with either of them, viz., the casing or the shaft. The lifting means may include a cam, a crank and/or a linkage, all constructed to raise and lower the transporting means. The conveying apparatus has such a deflecting mechanism as switching over the rotational axes from one to another and vise versa. The conveying apparatus has also the transporting means for moving the article along the axis of said motor-installed device, in response to rotation of the power inputting means. When one of the casing or the shaft (e.g., the former) of said motor-installed device is in such an operative connection as noted just above, the other of those casing and shaft (e.g., the latter) is in engagement with the power inputting means, through the deflecting mechanism. A roller conveyor, a belt conveyor or the like may be employed as the transporting means.
When the motor within the motor-installed device is turned on, the cam type raising means will operate to lift the transporting means above the transportation level of the conveyor line. Simultaneously, a torque will be imparted to the power inputting means through the deflecting mechanism so that the transporting means then operates to move the article away from the conveyor line. In other words, the transporting means will be driven by the power inputting means and then having been activated will transport the article along the axis of the motor-installed cylindrical device.
Preferably, the conveying apparatus may include a resisting member or members working against rotation either or both of the casing and the shaft. Such resisting members may have each a brake causing the casing or shaft not to spin at any small angle but to temporarily stand quite still.
In detail, the present conveying apparatus has the resisting member that will resist rotation of the casing or the shaft of the motor-installed cylindrical device. Since these casing and shaft are capable of rotating relative to each other, a torque will be imparted to one of them if and when the other is braked, with the torque being consequently transmitted to the lifting means or to the deflecting mechanism.
Also preferably, the conveying apparatus may include both the casing-resisting and shaft-resisting members that work against the casing and the shaft, respectively. One of such resisting members may always apply a resistance to rotation of the casing or shaft, while the shaft or casing being resisted by the other resisting member temporarily and only tinder certain conditions.
In detail, in the conveying apparatus including both the casing-resisting and shaft-resisting members, the casing and shaft of the motor-installed device can be braked individually. Because one of these resisting members always applies a permanent resistance to one of the casing or shaft, while the other of them being resisted by the other resisting member under certain conditions only, the motor temporarily actuated will impart a torque to said other one of the casing or shaft, to drive either one of the lifting and transporting means. Once the other resisting member is actuated, one of the casing and shaft will be caused into its stationary state, and the other of them having been suffering from the permanent resistance will consequently be forced into rotation to drive the other one of the lifting and transporting means.
It is desirable that the resisting member for the transporting means is of the type always exerting resistance against it.
Preferably, casing-resisting member may be pressed on the casing by a resilient part or parts such as a spring, a rubber piece or the like, thus simplifying structure and manufacture of said member. The spring may be a coiled spring, a leaf spring or any one of the known types of spring.
The lifting means may preferably include a cam that will simplify structure and manufacture of this member.
The cam in operative connection with the shaft of motor-installed cylindrical device may preferably be guided only in a horizontal direction so as to take a position where the shaft is forced tip and down. Such a shaft""s vertical movement caused by the cam will in turn raise and lower the transporting means in the present conveying apparatus.
Preferably, the cam may be supported simply on a sliding member that is displaceable only in horizontal direction.
The deflecting mechanism may be composed principally of a crossed belt, more specifically, a quarter-twisted belt, that will simplify this mechanism in structure for reversibly switching over the working rotational axes from one to another.
The transporting means may preferably be composed of a plurality of rotors rotating synchronously, and at least one of them may function as the power inputting means. Such a structure renders it simple and easy to manufacture both the rotors and inputting means.
Preferably, the motor-installed device may substantially consist of a cylinder incorporating in the casing the motor and a reducer and the shaft protruding sideways from and rotating relative to the cylinder, thereby rendering the present apparatus more compact.
From still another aspect of the present invention, it provides a conveying apparatus including a motor-installed device having a casing, a motor accommodated in the casing and a shaft, with the casing and the shaft being capable of rotating relative to each other and about a rotational axis. The apparatus further include a cam, a deflecting mechanism for converting the rotational axis to a further rotational axis, a power inputting means and a transverse transporting means. The transporting means transports an article axially of the motor-installed device when and while the power inputting means is energized to rotate. The apparatus still further includes a casing-resisting member for always resisting against the casing and a shaft-resisting member for temporarily resisting the shaft when the shaft is at its given angular position. Thus, this apparatus is constructed such that the cam is in an operative connection with the shaft in the motor-installed device, with the casing thereof being operatively connected to the power-inputting means through the deflecting mechanism, so that by energizing the motor, the cam will rotate along with the shaft to raise and lower the transporting means. At the given angular position of the shaft, the shaft-resisting member will impart resistance to this shaft so as to force the casing into rotation against the casing-resisting member and to thereby cause a transporting movement of the transporting means due to a power transmitted through the deflection mechanism and power-inputting means.
As just summarized above, the conveying apparatus in this mode of the present invention does include motor-installed device, the cam, the deflection mechanism, the power-inputting means, the transporting means, the casing-resisting member and the shaft-resisting member. The shaft of said motor-installed device operatively communicate with the cam, with the casing-resisting member operatively communicating with the power-inputting means through the deflection mechanism. The casing-resisting member and the shaft-resisting member in this apparatus are effective to apply resistance to the casing and the shaft of said motor-installed device, respectively and individually.
Between the two resisting members, the casing-resisting one is made as a permanently resisting member for the casing. So long as the motor rotates the casing continues to suffer from a strong resistance, thereby forcing the shaft to spin about its own axis as a result of reaction to this resistance. This means that with the motor being turned on, the shaft will start to spin at first, simultaneously causing rotation of the cam in order to raise the transporting means.
The other resisting member that is the shaft-resisting one is designed to and will actually work to resist rotation of the shaft only at the given angle thereof, whereby the casing is forced against the casing-resisting member into rotation to drive the transporting means by and through the deflecting mechanism and power-inputting means.
The cam may preferably be guided only in a horizontal direction so as to take a position where the shaft is forced up and down. Such a shaft""s vertical movement caused by the cam will in turn raise and lower the transporting means in the conveying apparatus.
From another aspect, the present invention provides a roller conveyor system including parallel rotating rollers and any one type of the conveying apparatuses summarized above, wherein the latter is interposed between any appropriate or desired two of these rollers.
In the system of such an arrangement, articles can be taken out of or be fed onto a conveyor line.
From still another aspect, the present invention provides a roller conveyor system including in addition to a conveyor line of parallel rotating rollers a conveying apparatus that is interposed between any appropriate or desired two of these rollers.
Also in this system constructed, the articles can likewise be taken out of or be fed onto the conveyor line.
From further still another aspect, the apparatus is driven with an independent power source driving it to ascend above and descend below the level of said rollers in order to convey articles transversely of a conveyor line.
Also in this system constructed, the articles can likewise be taken out of or be fed onto the conveyor line smoothly.
From yet still another aspect, the present invention provides a conveyor assembly in which a number of conveyor units are arranged in series to form a conveyor line. In this conveyor assembly, any one type of the conveying apparatuses summarized above is interposed between any two of the adjacent conveyor units, also enabling the articles to be taken out of or fed onto the conveyor line.